Newcastle are too good to be relegated this season. I didn’t believe that a few months ago, but it is apparent now. Even when they were failing to win points, their defense was holding together. Their back four have helped keep their goals allowed total one of the lowest in the league. And they were unlucky. They’ve lost points due to final conceded goals in injury time. They have drawn matches that they should have easily won. They’s been an odd team, finding more success on the road than at home.

They practically got a new midfield in January. Issac Hayden, who repeatedly asked to be transferred, accepted his situation and decided to focus on his football. He got selected to start more as a result. Back in September, their best passer was arguably Jonjo Shelvey. Now, with Shelvey on the injured list, their most expensive signing ever, Miguel Almirón is in charge of counter-attacking. Together with wonderkid Sean Longstaff, Issac Hayden and Matt Ritchie, the Newcastle midfield is getting balls closer to goal, and is driving wins.

Before Almirón joined the club, Newcastle whupped Cardiff on their home pitch. Another big step towards safety.

Their dominance over Burnley was notable. The first half brought the goals, and the second half closed the clean sheet.

There are nine matches remaining in Newcastle’s season. They ought win four of them. I think they only need to win two and draw some others. I will see half of one of their future matches in the Toon next month.

He may be, along with a certain Giant known as Willie Mays, the greatest defensive center fielder in the history of the game. He's not a great hitter, it's true, but he saves runs and games, and his contribution to the Red Sox is almost incalculable!

But I want to write this next point, finally, after 17 years. The worst thing Piazza ever did was deciding not to beat the living hell out of Roger Clemens in game 2 of the 2000 MLB championship (I don't use the W word). He had foreseen it. He knows he should have. I still wonder "what if" Piazza had not been classy, and instead tried to kill Roger. Could this championship series had gone longer? Would it have slowed down the Yankee dynasty, which ended the following year in Phoenix? Would it have helped the other Yankee haters, the Red Sox? What if?

What is it with Newcastle's success against Chelsea under Alan Pardew?

How many times has Pardew beaten Chelsea? He has done it four times; once each year since 2011. And if you go back to September 2010, when Chris Houghton was in charge, Newcastle have defeated Chelsea in five consecutive calendar years. Each time has been a rush. I treat myself to quality meat when it happens. I celebrated Newcastle's improbable upset victory at Stamford Bridge in the 2010-2011 League Cup with a filet mignon at SushiSamba. I celebrated this latest win with a bacon cheeseburger at the Piper's Kilt.

How about this match? It evolved. It had transitions. It had a transfer in the balance of power, confidence, and control. If you are into tactics and grit, this was your must-see match of week.

The match began with Chelsea making crisp passes and creating chances. However, almost all of their early shots were off-target. Newcastle were struggling to create chances, and their attacks were being broken up well before they could get to their opponent's area. Newcastle's first big chance came in the 32nd minute, and it should have ended with a goal. Ayoze Pérez made a brilliant back-heel pass to Jack Colback in front of the net. Colback had a ton of net to aim at, and yet missed. He put his forehead down on the pitch, knowing that it could have been his team's only real chance of the day.

But then the game transitioned. Chelsea didn't control the match the same way they did in the first thirty minutes. Newcastle finally had some sustained attacks. There still weren't any shots on target, but they were holding onto the ball more.

During added time in the first half, Newcastle keeper, Rob Elliott, tore a thigh muscle while kicking the ball down-field. Seconds later, a cross from Sammy Ameobi didn't connect, and the half ended scoreless. Newcastle had few chances, were lucky not to be down a goal, and had lost their second string keeper indefinitely.

My feeling at that point was that Newcastle had a chance at a draw. So long as they did not concede the first goal, they were going to hang on for a point. There was no need to panic. Even with the third string goalkeeper, 21 year-old Jak Alnwick, taking over from Elliot, I was not nervous. On Facebook, I posted the following status:

It’s going to be a thrilling 45 minutes of football as Newcastle attempt to hold off Chelsea. Defense!

I thought half of the midfield did extremely well. And that half was named Jack Colback and Moussa Sissoko. In my notes, they shared the man of the match honors. They were involved in almost every big play. Which brings us to the 57th minute. Sissoko had possession and charged with the ball into the left side of the area. He rolled the ball to Sammy Ameobi, who quickly crossed the ball through Chelsea's Cahill and Terry to Cissé, who was perfectly positioned, and just had to stick out his right foot to score. St. James' Park came alive. Suddenly there was a game and Newcastle had a lead to protect. Cissé had come in to replace Remy Cabella in the 53rd minute. It had to be energizing to to see him make an almost immediate impact on the game.

The defense then stepped-up. Janmaat, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, and Dummett all did their jobs. With each minute, Newcastle seemed to gain a little confidence.

Then things became shaky. Eden Hazard hit the post in the 78th minute. But Newcastle did one of the things they do best: they counter-attacked. In a stunning sequence that immediately followed, Colback, Pérez, Sissoko, and Cissé all combined to score the crucial second goal. It was a sequence that pretty much summed-up Newcastle's offensive capability this season. Colback began the counter-attack with a stiff-arm tackle and took possession. There was no whistle for that. From there, Colback passed the ball to Pérez at midfield, who was fouled hard into the air and down, but not before he made a short pass to Colback. The referee made the call of the match. He gave Newcastle the advantage, and let them play on. Colback connected to Sissoko in the left side of the area with a magnificent through-ball. Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois came out to meet him, and almost got the ball. The attack looked over. But Sissoko managed a last-millisecond pass, through Courtois' hands to Cissé who calmly tapped it through a row of three defenders into the empty net. It was game over.

Except it wasn't. Of course not. This club? It's a roller coaster.

While Diego Costa and Fábregas lost their nerve and were both carded two minutes later, a Newcastle collapse was on the horizon, as Steve Tayor mad a bad challenge in the 81st minute, and picked up a second yellow card. He had been booked early in the second half for pulling down Willian. And this foul was no less intentional, as he ran over Schurrle 25 yards away from the Newcastle goal. It was cynical and reckless, and he was off. On the next play, Drogba headed the ball pass Alnwick on a free kick. The ball was visible from beginning to end, and Alnwick was not in the best position. Newcastle would be spending the next 9 minutes, plus 6 minutes of extra time, hanging on to a one goal lead. And they just hung on for the win.

That's Matt's argument over at I Wish I Was a Geordie. Let's accept his argument that Newcastle are built to bite bigger squads through counter-attacking. After all, he's a pundit, unlike me. But then how do we explain that Newcastle have done it against 4 teams in just 2 months (City, Spurs, Liverpool, and Blues)? Do their opponents not watch footage and scout them? If Matt is correct, we can expect Newcastle to have similar success against Arsenal and Man United before this month is over.

On the flip side of Matt's argument, he has an excellent point. If Newcastle play a 4-4-2 diamond with a counter-attack mindset against dominant squads, how come they fail to get three points when they play a 4-3-3 formation against a more equal side? Why couldn't they beat West Ham or Burnley last month? Is it a lack of motivation and consistency?

Still, isn't it time to give Alan Pardew credit for this recent turn-around in form? What if Pardew's tactical plan against Chelsea was to get a draw? Then clearly his squad exceed expectations by scoring two unanswered goals against the best team in Europe, yes? Furthermore, can we explain how Newcastle effectively attacked Chelsea down the left side in both halves? Didn't Pardew do his homework? A good team needs to take advantage of lapses and mistakes by their opponents, and that's exactly what Newcastle did. And like everything else in team sports, the next game will tell us more about this squad, and how far they can go this season.

And so, how does Pardew and his players prepare for their trip to Arsenal with over 10 players unavailable due to injury or suspension? The back four appears to be set with Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini (or Dummett), and Haïdara. But the midfield and strikers are anyone's guess. The consensus is that Newcastle are going to have to play Tioté, Cabella, Colback, Gouffran, and Anita in the midfield at some point in the game. So why not use a 4-3-3 formation? Have Colback be the center of the midfield, and Cissé be the center forward, with Pérez on the wing?

It’s easy to say Cisse should have started, but he wouldn’t have offered such an outlet when Chelsea were piling on the pressure in the opening stages. Perez played that role nicely; Cisse then provided an instant impact. It worked perfectly, and sometimes managers — even Pardew — deserve the credit.

This this time of year,I try to write a post about Newcastle United's summer transfer activity and strategy for the new season, which begins just over a month after the FIFA World Cup concludes.

I began writing this post on June 8 at San Juan International Airport. I was in the same terminal in June 2011, which was Alan Pardew's first summer with the club as manager. In that month, Pardew embarked on his strategy of buying undervalued French players and trying to develop them into Premier League starters. Newcastle had bought one such player before Pardew was hired. That player was Hatem Ben Arfa, an under the radar deal completed by Pardew's predecessor, Chris Houghton.

Pardew's four purchases that June signaled an attempt to build a new midfield. He brought in Sylvain Marveaux (left wing), Gabriel Obertan (right wing), and Yohan Cabaye (attacking center), the man who could become Newcastle's next number 10, to lead the offense. The hope was that Marveaux could replace Jonas Gutierrez, and Obertan could start cup matches, giving the injury-prone Ben Arfa rest in what could have been a run of seasons in the UEFA Europa League, as well as a possible League Cup run.

Well, Newcastle supporters knew what happened after that. The club had a season in which they overperformed, due in large part to their defense and it's rising star goalkeeper, Tim Krul. That gained them entry to the Europa League. However Pardew and the club almost immediately regretted playing in Europe. In match after match in that tournament, Newcastle showed resiliency in the backfield, but an inability to score up front. While Cabaye and Ben Arfa proved themselves to be the most talented offensive players, there were strong signs that they didn't fit with the other players. Also, it had become well documented that Pardew was deploying 3-3-4 and diamond formations because he recognized that he lacked natural strikers who could be used in a 4-4-2 formation.

Despite Pardew's occasional encouragement of diamond formations, the squad lead the league in long passes, rather than the short, triangular passes that can sustain attacks and produce chances. The squad gradually replied on counterattacking for goal scoring opportunities, no matter which midfield players Pardew chose to start. It wouldn't be long before knowledgeable supporters recognized that the squad's problem was not a matter of incorrect player selections by the manager, but rather a failed strategy.

Pardew and the board brought in talented players who were not attracting too much interest from bigger clubs. Simply put, they were making value conscious purchases. If one of them proved to becomes quality starter in the EPL, such as Cabaye, then he became a profitable sale opportunity. Conversely, if he was not trusted or utilized by Pardew, he became dead weight, and lose value, as was the case with Marveaux.

All the while, Newcastle's inability to score proved to be the biggest concern. They dropped from sixth to sixteenth in the table in just twelve months, saving their 2012-2013 season with a lucky win against QPR in the penultimate match.

Players who fell out of favor were felt away, with unsuccessful attempts to replace them during transfer windows. Furthermore, the last two summer transfer windows before this current one were not productive. It was about about cashing in rather than building. A spurt of purchaes in January 2013 helped save that season, and until this month, there had been no new acquisitions.

Now Pardew finds himself in a very similar position he was in last June. He has lost talented players. His squad cannot score, and is in terrible form. Pardew has become the sixth consecutive manager since the Sir Bobby Robson era to fail to steer the squad to a positive goal differential in the EPL.

This summer, Pardew is faced with the additional problem of a broken defense (something I doubt he recognizes nor cares about). Last year, the defense was a key injury away from being broken. Fortunately, Mike Williamson surprised everyone and became the squad's most improved player. However, this squad cannot rely on Williamson in the season ahead. Every defender, with the arguable exception of Dummett and Williamson, is no longer helpful. Coloccini wants to leave. Steven Taylor has served his purpose. Matthieu Debuchy wants to reunite with Cabaye at PSG. And Davide Santon, once one of the best offensive defensemen in the Premier League, has become a liability. This defense, ideally, needs to be completely rebuilt.

But time was lost last year, and now time is being lost this year, as the World Cup has the whole football world shelving transfer news for the next month. And the stack of things to do over at the club is higher now than it was in May 2013. Last year, Newcastle arguably only needed a new defender, midfielder, and a striker. They only managed to get a quality striker on loan. This summer, they need 3 or 4 new defenders, 2 or 3 new midfielders, and 2 or 3 new strikers. But that won't happen. They are already running out of precious time.

And I much as I want to like this guy, I can't trust him as a manager if he can't figure what should be a good problem for a manager to have. His problem is, he has too many midfielders, but doesn't know where they should fit, and in which formation.

Where do they fit?

We have learned an awful lot since things fell apart last October after a season start that had Newcastle on pace for an 8th place finish. A year ago, Yohan Cabaye and Cheik Tiote were the core of what could be one of the best midfields in the English Premier League.

Flash forward to last month, and it clear to many armchair analysts like myself that Canaye and Tiote should not be on the pitch at the same time. Tiote is a defensive midfielder, and enforcer. He strikes me as someone you bring in to defend a second half lead (something Newcastler were terrible at last season). Cabaye is supposed to be one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe. But for reasons most pundits don't know, his passing simply disappeared last season. Couple that with Cisse's poor year, and the offense was effectivly disabled.

What can bring the triangular passes back? The simple passes that generate scoring chances?

If there are zero expectations for Jonas at left wing, why keep starting him? Surely Marveaux can take over?

And can Hatem Ben Arfa at right wing ever be trusted? Yes, he's a magician when he runs with the ball. But a rebuilt midfield would not include him, would it?

We fans and pundits have the correct questions. Alan Pardew does not know the answers.

Well, the answer to the question is obvious, isn’t it? Newcastle need a few more players. Maybe only two more if they don’t lose Yohan Cabaye.

It appears likely that Newcastle United are close to their first major signing of the summer transfer window. While I really like Gouffran and Sissoko, their two newest forwards signed in January, they need additional strikers to make up for the gap left when they lost Leon Best and presumably will lose when Papiss Cissé leaves the club.

Well, not so fast. Since 2011, Newcastle have not been quick to buy any new players in the summer season. No one really has an answer as to why this is so. The most pessimistic of Newcastle supporters fear that the four signings from January are the new summer signings. Considering what happened last summer (one signing), they have every right to be concerned.

Newcastle need two new strikers, with our without Cissé on board, and at least one of them needs to be world class. The clock is ticking. Get it done.

This is a very late post. But this blog needs to repeat it, as if the point hasn't been made enough.

While we wait for Newcastle's first significant signing of the summer (if there is going to be one at all), it just needs to be acknowledged that Newcastle United Football Club have arguably the worst front office in all of professional sports.

As an American, I know there are some really bad front offices here. Actually, there is a long list: The Chiefs, Knicks, Mets, Pirates, Bruins, (Arizona) Cardinals, Twins, and Royals, just to name a few.

Having signed an 8-year contract last October, it is understandable that the board would put Pardew on a short leash. But their next move has the press, fans, and even the competition confused and bewildered. The club hired former manager (and arguably one of the poorest managers in the top flight in recent years) Joe Kinnear as Director of Football.

The news of Kinnear’s appointment leaked on Sunday June 16, just a week after I returned from my annual visit to Vieques, and around the time I was hoping to hear that Newcastle was preparing a few bids for players once the transfer window opened on JUly 1. Newcastle fans remember how disastrous Kinnear’s tenure was with the club as manager. But it still came as a shock when Kinnear walked into a radio station on Monday June 17, before the club had confirmed his appointment, and declared himself to be the final word on new signings, as well as Alan Pardew’s boss. He also declared, before the official announcement, that Managing Director Derek Llambias was on his way out. Oh, and it was simply offensive and bizarre.

Derek Llambias did indeed resign. Friendly with fans, and seemingly on board with Pardew’s French and African recruiting plan for the club, Llambias’ departure set off alarms all over Tyneside.

But when Pardew broke his silence after his summer vacation on July 8, he showed no sign of wanting to quit, and expressed his commitment to the new power structure in the front office. He even said that he and Llambias didn’t work well together.

It would appear that Alan Pardew has the toughest task of any Premier League manager in the 2013-2014 campaign. He has to use the squad he currently has, plus or minus no more than 4 players total, and deliver a top 12 finish, while being overseen by one of the least successful and most despised men in all of English football. Joe Kinnear hadn’t been re-hired by any top flight club since being fired by Newcastle in 2009. His being re-hired by the club that should know how terrible he is makes this story all the more extraordinary.

UPDATE, July 21, 11:00 EDT, The Mag reports that Kinnear has just hired former Sunderland and Newcastle player, Mick Harford, as a coach. He had agreed to join East London club Milwall as a coach just last month. This probably puts additional restraints on Alan Pardew, and not just because Harford used to wear red and white stripes. These are interesting times, indeed.

I have wanted to write about Newcastle since their dreadful, historic loss at home against the Mackems. But I've spent too much time being nervous about relegation.

It was too late for Newcastle to make any tactical changes late in the season. They just had to win one more match between April 14 and May 19, and they just got it done against QPR on Sunday. Now we cal all relax a bit. Bit there is so much to be done betweeen now and the end of July.

It is clear to every knowlegible supporter that Newcastle United is a squad full of talented players. But the tactics and player slections were off the entire season.

In the current campaign, this squad has consistant difficulty delivering the ball to the strikers. The combinations are off. They have scoring machines up front. But it's all for nought if the team can't contruct sustained attacks. Giving up the first goal of the match is not the way to 60 points either.

It hurts to think that if this team had gotten just three more wins, they would be sitting in eighth place in the league, right behind Liverpool. That's not a spectacular finish, but very respectable, and away from the cluster of poor teams at the bottom. But what this means is that they are a poor squad. The club needs a lot of rebuilding, and they are going to have to help themselves.

Also, assuming Alan Pardew is given another chance to make things right, he needs to stop saying silly things. Someone get the Silver Fox a public speaking coach.

There really isn't much to say until the summer transfer window is well underway. So I'm going to enjoy a week in Puerto Rico and then hope I return to mainland to news of players bought and sold. This was the case in 2011, when the team bought Marveaux, Obertan, and Cabaye around mid June.

What the hell was that? I was at Saint James's Park for the first time since choosing to support this club nearly 20 years ago. I learned before my trip that I can never expect a win in this current campaign. But on an iron gray day, in a slushy, iron gray city, I saw Newcastle's problems first hand.

And where should I begin? The injuries are a given. But what I saw was a superior squad that couldn't finish chances in an otherwise fine first half, stopped playing in the second half, and topped it off with a disasterous tactical substitution by Alan Pardew. That's shooting yourself in each foot (one foot twice, I suppose). And what depresses me is that this squad has not learned from its mistakes. With the possible exception of Yohan Cabaye and Sylvain Marveaux, who continue their positive play, I saw no one else on the pitch who showed improvement over what they had done since October or so.

Jonas, I love you. But you can't send a properly weighed ball into the box. You need to lay it off to a defender or another midfielder to do the honors. Newcastle's opponents know that. It hurts to watch. Coloccini had a fine first half. However, he was afraid to have the ball touch him in the second (along with Jonas), and it cost the team dearly. Shola Ameobi, were you there the whole game? And James Perch, I saw you come on in the 65th minute. But I don't remember you touching the ball.

Congratulations, Cisse, you got three shots on the target in the first half, two straight on the keeper. Last year you could beat the keeper on every shot you took. You were leathal. This is simply not your year. Anita, Cabaye, and Marveaux, I'm sorry. I'm sorry your teammates didn't want to win as much as you did.

Jonas and Williamson are solid, durable 'squad players'. But that's not enough. Not in this league with a third of the clubs not possessing the quality it used to demand. Let's face it, the English Premier League is weak. It has been for at least three seasons now.

Did I mention it was gray, cold, snowy, and miserable?

I know what pundits say. They say that Newcastle look too good to be a relagation team. Once they get Steven Taylor and Hatem Ben Arfa back, they will upset a bigger club, like Liverpool or Arsenal. I see their point. Newcastle can pass the ball extremely well. They can defend when they are trying. They have talent. But there is a danger to this analysis. Those two upset possibilities come at the end of the season. Newcastle probably need six wins to secure safety. Where do any wins come from if the team stops playing in the second half of matches?

Before this dismal run began in October, Newcastle's problem was slow starts. They couldn't score in the first half. Now they can't hold leads. They have lost four leads since Christmas. And all season long, one rule has remained in place: they lose when they concede the first goal.

I should stop right there. I will let the more knowledgeable bloggers dissect this latest failure below. But I will conclude with the most concise summary I can on Newcastle's fate this season. This squad must defeat every team beneath them on the table if they are survive. Reading are beneath them, and Newcastle failed to win. Now they must not only defeat every team beneath them, but they must defeat multiple teams above them, like Swansea, West Ham, Sunderland (of course), and Aston Villa (next match). It makes no sense to hope for Norwich and Southampton to fall. They must defeat Southampton and QPR, who remain beneath them and who they face this spring. Who can be confident that they can defeat those sorry squads after this latest display against reading? Anyone? I thought not.

Six wins. Where will they come from? If they win one game per month, they will be two games short. They need two consecutive wins, and we know they aren't going to get that. Reading and QPR are going down. Newcastle, Norwich, Southampton, and possibly Aston Villa are competing for the final relegation spot. Yes, competing. They are practically falling over each other for the honors of being dropped. And having learned from 2009, once you start calculating the odds of relagstion, your favorite team is doomed.

In the aftermath of Loic Remy's decision to snub Newcastle United in favour of Queens Park Rangers it made me wonder just what direction the game is heading when it comes to player ambition and certainly passion.

It's been a painful two weeks for Newcastle United. We supporters all saw it coming. We didn't expect any wins between Boxing Day and January 5th. But each loss was a blow to the squad's confidence, morale, and greadually, the supporter's faith in manager Alan Pardew (who knows what the players think of him).

This post Christmas run has seen three league losses, and a crash out of the FA Cup Third Round. Newcastle now have a week to recover before a trip to Norwich, where the Canaries have been inconsistent, but have scored more goals than the Magpies this season. Because Norwich is in 12th place in the league table, and Newcastle are barely in 15th place, this upcoming match is a virtual must win for the Magpies. It's no easy task. But with one or more key midfielders set to return from injury, and their new right back, Mathieu Debuchy, set to make his debut as the replacement of Danny Simpson, the Lads are yet again, on paper, the superior team. Except that we have seen time and time again this season that have a superior squad sheet means nothing if your team cannot score first, or score and hold a lead.

Newcastle have lost too many leads this season. In their Boxing Day match at Old Trafford, they lost three leads in a single, heartbreaking defeat. Newcastle have shown distressing patterns all season long. They fail to win when they concede a goal first. They have much difficulty holding on to leads. And they have too many scoreless halves, especially the first half, thus making it all the more likely that they don't score the first goal in a match. There is a lack of football fundamentals. The lobs and crosses into the box, required of any team that scores goals and aims high on the table, are simply not happening. They say Tyneside loves goals. But these are not the days of Ferdinand, Beardsley, or Shearer, when Newcastle scored a ton of goals to finish near the top of the table two decades ago.

The reasons behind this decline appear to be the continued use of tactics that have been proven to be ineffective, a broken attacking partnership at the front, and most important, the lack of new signings in the summer of 2012.

Alan Pardew set a theme in June 2011, when he signed four players with French names (three of them are actual Frenchmen). It signaled a “French strategy” at Tyneside, and a renewed focus on the midfield, both of which seemed to reflect all that Pardew had learned in over ten years of managing. He signed star midfielder Yohan Cabaye, Italian defender Davide Santon, and reserve midfielders Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux. Today, all four of them are crucial first team players, due to injuries and suspensions this season. Plus, Marveaux had a very productive December, putting him in competition with Jonás Gutiérrez for the left midfielder starting role.

Sylvain Marveaux had a breakthrough month in December 2012.

In that same month, Pardew signed Bemba Ba on a free transfer after he was released from West Ham. Seven months later, he shocked the EPL with the signing of another Senegalese striker, Papiss Demba Cissé. He and Ba formed a productive tandem that almost propelled Newcastle United into the Champions League.

Injuries to defenders Ryan Taylor and Steven Taylor in 2011/12 should have been a warning to sign or rent additional defenders. With only Mike Williamson, James Perch, and Danny Guthrie as the available defensive utility players, the Magpies were thin in the backfield. Pardew released Guthrie in June, 2012, highlighting this fact.

But in the summer of 2012, there were just two reservist midfielder signings, Gaël Bigirimana and Vurnon Anita. Again, both players are on the first team today due to injuries and suspensions. But at least one of them probably wouldn't be traveling with the squad if they weren't so unlucky.

Newcastle went into 2012/13 a very vulnerable team. Losing one of the Taylors would negatively effect their goal differential (they have lost both to injury). The partnership of Demba Ba and Papiss Cissé fell apart as Ba refused to let Cissé run down the middle, his preferred, natural position. Johan Cabaye was failing to produce chances as promised (Ba might have had something to do with that), and fell to injury himself. He's expected to return soon.

The current January 2013 transfer window is a chance for Alan Pardew to make up for the giant lost opportunity that was the summer of 2012.

Here is my very amateur, obvious, and FIFA video game influenced wish list for this month:

Mathieu Debuchy, right back. They signed him last week. He replaces Danny Simpson, who coincidentally fractured his tow last week. Already, Newcastle's defense is stronger heading to Norwich.

Loïc Rémy, striker. He will have to play next to or behind Papiss Cissé. He will have to get along with Cissé. He should get along with fellow Frenchman Yohan Cabaye. Newcastle have been watching him for at least a year, and now is the time to make a bid. They need to replace Demba Ba, and Remy needs to be their top priority order of business this coming week. Remy's club, Marseille, have reluctantly agreed to sell him, so long as a big club bids at least ₤11 Million for him. Alan Pardew would have prefered to spend ₤9 Million. But with QPR and other teams likely to make a bid for Remy, his price will creep towards ₤15 Million. If Pardew thinks Remy is the best replacement available for Ba, he has to act now.

Douglas Franco Teixeira (“Douglas”), center back. Newcastle scouted him in 2011, I believe. He has expressed a strong interest in playing Germany or England. Why not make a bid? Pardew would have to request more transfer funds from Mike Ashley, but these are despirate times, and Newcastle needed another center back a year ago.

Mahmoud Abdel Razek Fadlallah (“Shikabala”), attacking midfielder. I am aware of the spotty history of Egyptian players in the English Premier League. They don't usually blossom in England. Also, they are not usually big enforcers, as English attacking midfielders should be (I always felt that Wayne Rooney would make a better midfieder than striker, due to his body type). Shikabala is another player Newcastle have scouted in the last two years, and he might fill the attacking midfielder role left vacant by Joey Barton (and Johan Cabaye has not yet filled). He can also be a backup striker who could replace both Ranger and Xisco (how and why is Ranger still on this team?). Who knows? Why not approach Zamalek about buying him when he returns from loan in June?

Now for a paid journalist to sum it up, and this was just before Newcastle were dumped out of the FA Cup.

Pardew's troops need seven wins from the remaining 18 matches before we can start to think about anything other than mere survival...fasten your seatbelts, the black and white roller-coaster is ready to depart for 2013.

19 year-old Gael Bigirimana scored his first ever Premier League goal on Monday, December 3rd.

For most of the 2012-2013 campaign, Newcastle United have not found their form, or shown us what they can do. Their pattern in nearly all of their matches has been slow starts. Most of their goals have come in the second half. Three of their matches featured late equalizers. And three of their drawn matches involved poor calls that went their way and a fair amount of luck.

Then things fell apart for nearly two months. Suspensions, injuries, and some of the worst defensive play the club has seen since their 2009 relegation season put them on a long winless run. That winless run happened to coincide with the extrodinary 8-year renewal of manager Alan Pardew's contract.

But on Monday, Newcastle got their first Premier League victory since October 28th with an easy triumph of 10-man Wigan. The vicory was a gift. It was a lifeline.

Today, Newcastle have yet another chance to string two victorys together and show if they can carry momentum through squad and tactical changes. They are in Bordeaux today for their sixth and final Europa League group stage match. A win would secure the top of Group D. A draw or loss would probably send a team of equal caliber their way when the Europa knockout stages begin in February (teams like Lyon and Viktoria Plzen come to mind).

Newcastle supporters thought that the club was finished with Nile Ranger, who has not been able to stay out of trouble and arguably should have been released long ago. But Alan Pardew has chosen Ranger to start as one of the forwards today. It could be a last chance for him to prove he is worthy of wearing the black and white stripes.

Newcastle strategy, I would think, would be to score first, and then give the younger, reserve players a chance to hold the line. The senior players need to rest and heal before Monday's trip to Fulham, in what will be Newcastle's second globally-televised (ESPN) game in as many weeks.

Bordeaux are slight favorites today. But Their defense is not as strong as Premier League opponents. Pardew wants to win, but I suspect he also wants to see what his reservists can do. And so, two young midfielders, Frenchman Yven Moyo, and a home-grown prospect, Conor Newton, are on the bench today, available to make their senior squad debuts.

Score first. Hold the line. That's fundamental football. And Newcastle need to re-master the fundamentals before they can work on getting back into the Premier League top ten. There were bruises suffered in Monday's victory. Newcastle need to recover as bigger tests are just days away.

The clinching goal, when it arrived, came from a most unlikely source. Master T [Bigirimana] touched the ball to his left before walloping a splendid left-foot shot into the top corner of Al-Habsi's net. A fine way for the teenager to register his first for the club.

A beautiful two month unbeaten run opened the season. Key injuries and a dismal December nearly killed it. But Newcastle United had the grit and character to keep working and find their groove. And in March, they found it, taking a full 15 points thus far in their final 10 game stretch. They control their own European destiny. If they can somehow get another 15 points, they are almost certainly in the Champions League for 2012/13. If Everton somehow lose today in their FA Cup semifinal against struggling Liverpool, then Newcastle are guaranteed a spot in the Europa League no matter what happens. European football is a very real possibility for the Toon a full year ahead of manager Alan Pardew's schedule.

Despite lacking a potent offense for much of the season, Newcastle have still scored 50 goals thus far, which is sixth highest in the league, just behind Chelsea. It's been a true team effort. Just enjoy this cathartic, if chronologically mixed tribute video, which was posted on April 12th. It wonderfully reminds us of what has transpired since Newcastle's relegation in May 2009. There are some unforgettable goals here, including Hatem Ben Arfa's unbelivable 70 yeard run which sealed victory against Bolton on April 9th.

So, here are my silly predictions for the five remaining games the Lads have before them:

Saturday, April 21, Newcastle v Stoke: W 2-1

Saturday, April 28, Wigan v Newcastle: W 2-0

Wednesday, May 2, Chelsea v Newcastle: L 2-0

Sunday, May 6, Newcastle v Manchester City: W 3-1

Sunday, May 13, Everton v Newcastle: L 2-1

Looks like I'm predicting 9 more points out of a possible 15. A total of 68 points. Midway through this season, I predicted 60 points total.

If Tottenham and Chelsea continue to slip, Newcastle could very well squeeze into fourth place in the league table and enter the Champions League no matter what Everton do.

Once again, the Magpies have captured the hearts and minds of their loyal supporters. These are exciting times.

Amazing dark Fenway silkscreen by Daniel Danger. Used without permission.

Oh no. I'm not going to write a long, overdue post about the coming Red Sox 2012 season. Not gonna do it. I will keep it as brief as I can, since I'm not a paid pundit.

But I will say that I have reached a low point in my fandom. Always sketical of the owners, the Fenway Group, I have become conviced that they are simply disgusting human beings. I should know this about all owners of sports franchises. But John Henry now offically disgusts me. My only action is to ingore him. Yes, he loves yachts and Liverpool. Those are reasons enough not to like him. But his actions during and after the Red Sox collapse of 2011 sealed the deal. He's not a Steinbrenner. He's not a criminal. But he's living proof that wealthy Democrats can still be disgusting people. Party lines never matter in these cases. It's all about actions and words. He can split his time between Newport and Liverpool.

I have the little theory that people simply become wierd after their net worth passes a few million or so. We see it all over. They develop odd hobbies. They start demanding that certain no brainer foods be prepared a specific way (the stories about John Kerry's morning toast checklist during the 2004 presidential campaign comes to mind). They become OK with having servants enter their bedrooms and their children's bedrooms and open the curtains every morning (Dick Fuld). They buy big houses in the middle of Wyoming (Dick Chaney and Dick Fuld, again....never new urban Jews could love ranches). And they hire third party uteruses to give birth to late-life children (Bobby De Niro, is a very recent example).

Rich people. They're wierd. Moving on.

I probably have a bigger issue with the Red Sox fans. Just ten years ago, they were among the most rational and knowledgeable fans in American pro sports (up there with the fans of several NHL teams, I would argue). I'll do my best to ignore the younger Red Sox fans up north who don't seem to know their history. The males indocricane their girlfriends to become fans, don pink caps (and other feminine items), and get logo tattoos on their ankles. These poor kids. They don't know pain. They don't know frustration. Oh, but they will.

It won't be quite as bad as the 1984-1993 Yankees. But the Red Sox are heading into a quiet era, which could become worse if revenues unexpectantly drop.

So, here's my wicked short prediction for the Boston Red Sox. With no real shortstop ar catcher, they are at a defensive disadvantage. They have two outstanding pitchers, but the bottom two in their rotation could be breakouts or busts. They will get plenty of hits in their 100 year old ballpark. But they will have a depressing road record. They will be thankful to have an easy interleague schedule. But that's about all. By late July, they could be completely demoralized if they are swept in sweltering Arlington. I predict they will finish third in the AL East, behind the Yankees and Tampa Bay (although I'm not sure about the Yankees chances of clinching the wild card either).

I like Bobby Valentine. He should have stayed in Japan. But in Boston, he's already not handling the media or his players very well. Meanwhile, management is already working on lowering expecations.

So follow their lead, Red Sox Nation. Don't get too excited. The decompression period has begun. So relax. Savor that $10 beer at the ballpark. Go to the beach for a change. Finish that summer reading book list. This period could last a few seasons.

We seldom get comments here at MLH. So, precious readers, what do you think? Comment away.

I'm from Boston. I was raised in Brockton. The Patriots practically play in my backyard. But even I, objective blogger that I am, can acknowledge that Bill Bellichick is evil, and Tom Brady is an asshole. Their 'fuck you and the world' attitude is a stain on Boston area pro sports. Older fans like myself, loved the Patriots of the late 1970s and 1985. Heck, we also love the happy team of 2001-2002. But since 2007, the Patriots have been angry and driven to notch five Lombardi trophies. Either you have loved this, you you have been disgusted by it.

And yet, after saying that I am somewhat disgusted by it, I have this strong feeling that the New Jersey Giants don't stand a chance in Super Bowl 46. Neither team will be able to establish a running game and control the clock. Both quarterbacks will throw long. But the key difference is that Brady finds his targets (actually he transmits where the ball is going through his throws), while Eli Manning simply throws the ball.

My prediction? It won't be pretty. Patriots 45, Giants 10. It will practically be over after the first quarter.

Newcastle United did not make it through the November / December "Stretch of Doom" unscathed. It was hoped that they would emerge from their matches against Man City, Man United, and Chelsea with two points. Instead, they emerged with the luckiest point of any team this season and the loss of star defender Steven Taylor to a torn ACL. They were battered, exhausted, and undiciplined (as evidenced when Dan Gosling got dirty and earned himself a three game suspension).

I wanted to blog all about this stretch a month ago. But Newcastle's dense and busy scheule had me transfixed and nervous with each passing round. We Newcastle fans were on edge as the midfield and defense suffered failures and made too many mistakes. In effect, Newcastle went into a new Stretch of Doom as they dropped points to Norwich, Swansea, and West Brom. Three more matches, just one point. They needed to shift gears.

And the shift came rather organically. Manager Alan Parew didn't have to make any call ups from the reserve squad. He didn't have to start Alan Smith. He simply rested the right players (notibly Hatem Ben Arfa) and released them onto the pitch when they were ready. And the point scoring resumed (the dismal loss to Liverpool notwhithstanding).

Since Christmas, Newcastle have taken 9 out of 12 available points. They also won a thrilling third round FA Cup match to earn a very winnable fouth round draw. And the points earned in the last four league games have been obtained in very different ways. At Bolton on Boxing Day (a day Newcastle had not been victorious lately), two very quick goals caused an almost instant deflation and concession by the hosts. Then at home against Manchester United, Newcastle expected to face a furious Red Devil side, eager to avenge the pont Newcastle stole in November as well as the embarassing loss to Blackburn Rovers the week before. However, Manchester United's midfield didn't exert its superiority. Forward Wayne Rooney only got off one shot.

Newcstle played a spirited game that fetured two extraordinary shots by Demba Ba and Johan Cabaye to put Newcastle up 2-0 and cruising to victory. It was a win for this generation, despite Man United's lack of energy and drive. United's performance was unnacceptable, but Newcastle still had to break through twice to put Man U away, in difficult, windy conditions at a packed St. James' Park. It was a true team performance, and it was inspiring.

In the thriller against Blackburn in the FA Cup third round, the key to victory was playing Hatem Ben Arfa on the right wing. It had to be an epiphany for Alan Pardew, who has not seen eye to eye with Ben Arfa since his arrival as Manager over a year ago.

And then today, Newcastle simply had to play possession football against a depressed and sinking QPR squad. Three wins. Three different ways to win.

There are 17 matches remaining for the Magpies in league action this season. Today's game against QPR should prove to be the easiest through May. There will be no more easy points this season. But the Toon have 36 points, and sit in sixth place in the Premiership table. If they can upset Everton, Aston Villa, or Arsenal, they would have a shot at 60 points for the season. The Magpies have proven that they can defend well without Steven Taylor. Now they have to score goals without Bemba Ba and Cheik Tiote, as those players are serving their nations in the African Cup.

17 games. 51 points for the taking. I think they can take 24. They are on pace for it. They just need one upset against a stronger club, and defeat Wolverhampton and Swansea, among other events.

Newcastle have earned an extraordinary 19 points in 9 league games. They still need 40 points to ensure safety in the league. However, given how weak the Premiership seems to be this season, Newcastle should race to that total before the ground thaws in the spring of 2012.

But are they really good enough to qualify for an UEFA tournament next season? So soon? They are going to remain in the top six so long as Tim Krul remains brilliant in net, and the defense and midfield continue to develop as a unit. But their first league defeat has to be on the horizon. If not against Stock, then Everton, or Manchester City. The first league defeat is coming. How the squad deals with it will help define this season and the team's spirit.

Two highlights from Saturday's match against Wigan sum up the game. In the first half, Tim Krul made a tremendous save against Wigan's Vctor Moses, who fired a rising shot that was labeled for a spot under the crossbar. Then, late in the second half, the French midfield finally produced a goal. In the 80th minute, Sylvain Marveaux fed a beutiful pass backward to the outside center-right of the box, where Yohan Cabaye fired a rising shot into the top left corner. It was a perfect shot, perfect finish. Game, set, match, Newcastle.

Pardew had what he referred to as "<em>a little chat</em>" with the players at the interval - not quite the stirring oratory of half-time in February's meeting with Arsenal, you'd imagine, but certainly enough to urge them into a hungrier and more purposeful second-half performance.

It was an undeserved victory for a United side who had struggled all afternoon to create any chances of note and also to keep out a Wigan team who looked far more impressive than their lowly-position would suggest.

A Black and White October? That would be the limit of Newcaastle United's unbeaten streak, I think.

Then again, take a look at how lucky the team has been. They wrestled a point from an unbalanced Arsenal side. They weren't supposed to win at Villa Park in mid September. But they fought hard and got a point against their former ace goalkeeper, Shay Given. And this past weekend, they came out swinging against Wolverhampton at Molineaux, a ground that has given them much trouble in recent years. But a fortunate correct call by the referee prevented a Wolves penalty, and a fortunate, incorrect call by a referee disallowed what would have been Wolverhapton's tying goal at the very end of the second half.

Newcastle needed luck to get this far without a loss. But they are gelling as a team. Their defense has been better than average most of the time. Their offense has been below average, until the last two games when Demba Ba began to produce goals. And theough it all, their midfield has held everything together, and it is arguably one of the four best midfields in the league this season.

One of the other great midfields belongs to Tottenham. Newcastle get to rest for 13 days before hosting the Spurs. During that time, five players should fully recover from minor injuries and be ready for action: forward Shola Ameobi, midfielders Hatem Ben Arfa and Dan Gossling, and defenders Mike Williamson and Davide Santon, their crucial new left back. If they somehow get a point out of the Tottenham match, then Newcastle should keep going until the end of the month.

When the lads visit Stoke on October 31, I expect them to finally lose. If not there, then surely the next game against Everton.

What's that? They can defeat both of them? They can take this winning streak into the City of Manchester Stadium on November 19th? I like your attitude, Geordie faithful.

Footbo: "I believe its a very good time to be a Newcastle fan and I think theres a squad here, if we are lucky with injuries that could be the biggest surprise this year in english football."

The National: "It might not have been splashed on headline-grabbing transfer fees but Ashley has put his money where his mouth is."

Black And White And Read All Over: "[Joey Barton] may not have been present to irritate Wolves - something Alan Pardew lamented after the game, claiming he "might have stopped or slowed down the game" - but we still managed to upset them with a combination of clinical finishing, breathtaking goalkeeping, committed defending and, perhaps most crucially, the not inconsiderable assistance of the officials."

Blog On The Tyne: "Let's be honest, Ba went into the clash with Blackburn under a little bit of pressure after failing to find the net in his first few games. Yet Ba walked out of St James' Park clutching the match ball which had been signed by all of his team-mates."

View From The Shite Seats: "We may not be the best team in the league, and we may well fall away over the coming months, especially during the difficult November fixture list, but for once we have something to shout about and a team to feel rightly proud of, so let’s enjoy it while it lasts."

It would have been phenomenal had Newcastle ended their 2010/11 campaign with a victory over West Brom back on May 22nd. They would have finished the season with 48 points, in ninth place, ahead of arch rival Sunderland. West Brom could have used a victory as well, as it would have placed them in the top half of the table at the end of the campaign. But both sides were denied victory thanks to an explosive start by the Magpies, followed by a second half of miscues, bad timing, poor communication, and some bad luck. Actually, it was poor defending by the Baggies (including an own goal), followed by terrible defending by the Magpies. Throw in some final Toon appearances (Alan Smith and possibly Leon Best), and it was a messy, disappointing game.

A disappointing end to the match, and the season, perhaps, but hopefully a timely reminder to all concerned that we're a side in need of investment over the summer if we're to kick on next year.

And invest they have. Alan Pardew is yet to prove himself as a master of game strategy. But he is proving himself to be a wise spender. In the first four weeks of the transfer window, Newcastle have acquired two French midfielders in their prime (Yohan Cabaye and Slyvain Marveaux), and a proven striker (Bemba Ba). The club hope to sign an Egyptian midfielder (Sheikabala), and a star Turkish striker (Mevlüt Erdinç, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain) in July. The club could also make a bid for Adel Taarabt, a Moroccan-born midfielder who is currently with Queens Park Rangers.

Meanwhile, Newcastle were forced to sell Kevin Nolan to West Ham, once the team captain was irreversibly offended by the first contract renewal offer he received. The organization have told veteran midfielder Alan Smith to find employment elsewhere (the latest rumor is that he will sign with Leeds). And the team have told reserve striker/prospect Nile Ranger that he can pack his bags as well. His failure to grow on or off the pitch gave the club no other choice.

The durable midfielder Joey Barton, upset over Kevin Nolan's departure, seems to be entertaining offers from Hamburg and Arsenal. If Newcastle were to lose Barton, and pick up Taarabt or Sheikabala, they would have a a faster, formidable midfield, featuring some French speaking players as well as guys with Arab names (let the Glenn Beck Islamic Caliphate outage begin). The Mags would have Jonas Gutierrez, Cheick Tiote, Hatem ben Arfa, and Sylvain Marveaux, with possibly Sheikabala, Taarabt, Cabaye, Peter Løvenkrands, and Dan Gosling available off the bench. Even if they lose Gutierrez, they would still have awesome depth at midfield. Remember, just a year ago, the cash-strapped club's addition to the midfield was the lanky James Perch, who is still with the team as a reservist. I can't declare anything until we see results, but this promises to be the best Newcastle midfield since I first became a fan in 1993.

With the acquisition of Demba Ba, Løvenkrands can go back to being a backup midfielder. Shola Ameobi becomes a backup striker if the club acquires a star striker. And in the backfield, it is still unclear if key defender José Enrique will stay or go. But if he goes, there would still be a budget to purchase a replacement. Meanwhile Steven Taylor continues his comeback as a starting Center Back. Ryan Taylor, Mike Williamson, Tamás Kádár, Danny Simpson, and Fabricio Coloccini round out the other available defenders.

That leaves Pardew with the question of what to do about his goalkeeper. Right now, he's content to let Tim Krul, Steve Harper, and Fraser Forster fight for the starting spot, while several clubs submit their bids for Forster, one of the best goalkeeping prospects in the Premier League today.

More answers and possibly more signings will be revealed as the Toon prepare for a three match tour of the USA in July, their first visit in 16 years.